COMPARISON OF LASER-ASSISTED UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY TO ELECTROCAUTERY-ASSISTED UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY - A CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION IN AN ANIMAL-MODEL
Y. Ducic et al., COMPARISON OF LASER-ASSISTED UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY TO ELECTROCAUTERY-ASSISTED UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY - A CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION IN AN ANIMAL-MODEL, Journal of otolaryngology, 25(4), 1996, pp. 234-238
Objective: To determine if there are any pathologic or technical diffe
rences between laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (LAUP) and ele
ctrocautery-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (EAUP). Design: A prosp
ective randomized in vivo trial in an appropriate animal species, Resu
lts: We found no gross difference in healing between the palates treat
ed with laser and those treated with high-frequency electrocautery. Ho
wever, there was consistently more thermal damage noted histologically
in the hemipalates treated with LAUP. Oil the other hand, EAUP was fa
ster to perform, more hemostatic, associated with less char formation,
and had less histologic evidence of thermal damage. Conclusions: Thes
e results raise the possibility that the beneficial effects of LAUP ov
er traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) may be as a consequenc
e of staging rather than the particular treatment modality used.